Foolish Insecurities
by Mintrosy
Summary: Danny can't help it when he becomes jealous of the beautiful blonde Interpol agent that is seemingly taking up all of Dylan's time. But will Danny's insecurities and Dylan's dismal communication skills tear apart their relationship? (This story is Dylan/Danny aka Lover's Fool. Background Jack/Lula).


"Pack your things, we're going to Paris." Dylan announced suddenly from the staircase of the Horsemen's current mountainside base.

"Ooh, the city of love. You here that, Jack?" Lula said and arched her eyebrows suggestively. Jack smirked at Lula and shook his head in embarrassment.

"As the only Horseman not in a relationship, could I ask why Paris?" Merritt questioned, "Because it better not be just so you and Atlas can go through your honeymoon phase."

Eyes quickly landed on the Daniel, who blushed and dug his face deeper into the book he was holding. Even though he had already been dating Dylan for about seven months, the showman was still embarrassed about it when somebody mentioned it out loud.

"Heh, yep. Jack barely made it through _our_ honeymoon phase, isn't that right Jackie?" Lula boasted mischievously, amused by her obviously flustered boyfriend.

Dylan cleared his threat loudly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh anyway, remember Alma Dray?" He asked to the curious magician.

"Yeah, that blonde Interpol agent that almost shot me." Daniel piped up from his seat by the window.

"She didn't 'almost shoot you', I had the situation under control." Dylan reminded, but Danny just hummed and went back to reading his book.

"We're going to Paris to meet her and exchange some important information." Dylan continued, looking around the room at his Horsemen.

"For a new mission?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Maybe, it's still in its beginning stages, but we'll see." He responded, cautiously optimistic.

Merritt clapped his hands together readily and spoke dramatically, "Sooo, Paris? I've got no problem with it, as long as we get some good food along the way." The mentalist decided nonchalantly.

The others responded to Merritt's statement with varying levels of agreement, and Danny turned to his Dylan with a uncharacteristically warm smile.

"When do we leave?"

...

The plane ride to Paris lasted longer than the group of magicians would've liked, but they each found ways to occupy themselves on the eleven hour flight. Lula had been trying to catch pieces of popcorn in her mouth at various heights while listening to a rather interesting podcast about meerkats through her cherry red headphones. Jack passed the time by lazily going over some old sets, his hands rhythmically shuffling the worn deck of cards that he had taken from Danny's suitcase. Merritt was dozing off with his seat laid back, occasionally waking up when Lula hit him 'accidentally' with a stray piece of popcorn. Dylan and Danny both sat in the back of the plane side by side in the large chairs and conversing quietly. Dylan had put an arm around the showman's shoulders to pull him closer, and Danny found himself leaning comfortably against his lover's strong chest.

Daniel had been surprisingly relaxed in the past several months, and he couldn't deny that being in a relationship with the former FBI agent had drastically altered his life and priorities. There were, of course, some awkward moments between Daniel and Dylan, usually the result of Danny's ego and Dylan's communication issues. However, they were always able to overcome their difficulties and grow their relationship even stronger than before.

When the Horsemen landed in France, they quickly made their way to a small apartment complex in the middle Paris that had been reserved for them by The Eye. There was only three rooms for the Horsemen to share, and they were all on the second floor of the old building. The hall that connected the rooms smelled faintly of sugar pastries and citrus due to the small bakery on the bottom floor of the property. The group quite obviously split up so that the two couples had their own room while Merritt happily had a room all to himself. After dropping off their luggage in their respective rooms, the magicians congregated in nearly deserted bakery downstairs, each ordering a drink or treat from the display case.

"This place ain't got a lot of traffic," Merritt observed, "Or a decent place to sit." He said while glancing around critically.

Danny shrugged, "All the better, I suppose. Considering what we did the last time we were in Paris." He whispered pointedly while he and Jack dragged three more chairs over to the small table to accommodate all five of them.

"So, what's the deal?" Lula questioned after taking a big bite of her brioche topped with fresh strawberry jam.

Dylan chuckled sheepishly and cleared his throat, "Well, the thing is..." He began.

The others narrowed their eyes and looked at their leader with apprehension. Faced with the sharp gazes of his Horsemen, Dylan Shrike had no choice but to come clean.

"Okay guys, I get it. To be completely honest, I brought you all here for my own peace of mind. I don't like the idea of you being across the world without me if you don't need to be." He admitted.

"Aww, he really does care!" Lula teased and batted her eyelashes.

"It's ok, man. We get it. It's not like we had anything better to do anyway." Jack assured.

Dylan smiled appreciatively, "Anyway, I have to go meet Alma at the Pont des Arts bridge soon. If you're going to leave the building to get dinner, just be careful going around the city and try to stay hidden." He reminded the Horsemen.

"Got it, Dylan." Jack responded, giving a cheeky salute before getting up from his seat and following Lula upstairs to their room.

Danny stood as well and grabbed Dylan's arm, "Be careful out there. I'll come if you need me." He promised and only tensed slightly when Dylan pecked him quickly on the lips, ignoring Merritt's quiet snicker when he blushed violently.

Dylan looked fondly at Danny and smiled at his worried lover, "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

...

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that the only reason why we came to Paris was to keep Dylan company. And by we, I very specifically mean Atlas." Merritt deadpanned, narrowly missing the card that Danny irritatedly flicked at his head.

"Aw, it's not so bad. I mean, Paris! I could think of worse places to be hiding." Lula reasoned optimistically.

"Plus, we might have a mission after Dylan gets more information from Agent Dray." Danny added.

Merritt frowned, "Speaking of our fearless leader, shouldn't be have been back by now?"

"Yeah...it's been awhile." Jack informed, expression slightly concerned.

Danny had also realized how long his partner had been absent, but he knew that Dylan was capable of handling any problem that he faced. However, this thought didn't stop the nagging anxiety in the back of his mind that whispered a string of 'what if' scenarios, effectively causing the showman to become frazzled and short-tempered.

"He would've called if something was wrong." Atlas snapped.

Lula shrugged, "Well, why don't we go look for him?" She offered eagerly, getting up and grabbing her coat.

"Pass, someone has to wait here for when he comes back." Merritt sighed wearily, "You kids have fun."

"Right, so where's this bridge? He said Pont des Arts, right?" Jack questioned, pulling out his phone.

"Yep, and it can't be too far, Jackie. Let's go!" Lula exclaimed and followed the two men out the apartment building's door.

...

Paris was cold and wet during this time of year, prompting the three magicians to bundle into their large coats as they made their way inconspicuously through the city. The buildings surrounding them were all light up spectacularly in the night, allowing them to enjoy their walk despite the freezing temperature. However, when they finally got to one of Paris' most famous landmarks, they couldn't find Dylan anywhere in the large crowd of people. After spending nearly fifteen minutes trying to locate him among the night owls, the increasingly concerned trio regrouped at the end of the bridge and begun to search the surrounding area.

The Horsemen thankfully didn't have to go too far, because they spotted him and the beautiful Interpol agent sitting in front of some small bistro, chatting amiably. Danny, Jack, and Lula decided to remain at a distance to remain unseen by Agent Dray, but it seemed that their usually observant leader was too distracted to notice them as well.

Dylan and Alma were on opposite sides of the circular table, but even from afar one could tell the effortless compatibility between the two. Danny's chest tighten inexplicably at the sight of his lover's current carefree expression, and he felt a strange sense of dread sweep over him as Dylan laughed and smiled widely in response to something the blonde woman had said.

Something must've shown on Danny's face, because Lula suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke with an uncharacteristic level of delicacy, "Dylan really cares about you, I wouldn't worry."

"Uh, yeah...Yeah, let's go back. Everything's fine here." Danny spoke quickly, his voice cracking suspiciously at the end. He turned swiftly on his heel, and walked in the direction of the apartment building. Jack and Lula exchanged a knowing look, then jogged to catch up to the showman's retreating figure.

...

It was almost midnight by the time Dylan got back to the apartment, and he was surprised to find Danny already laying down on their bed with the room's lights off. The showman's workaholic tendencies usually resulted in Dylan having to persuade Danny extensively into getting some sleep, but it seemed that the younger magician had decided to get some extra rest tonight.

Dylan carefully climbed into the bed besides Danny, trying not to jostle him too much. He snuggled up close to Danny's side and kissed him softly on the neck, enjoying the warmth of his lover's body. Focusing on Danny's soft breathing, Dylan found himself slowly closing his eyes and falling asleep peacefully with Danny beside him.

...

The bright morning light filtered through the window's blinds, effectively waking up Danny from his unsatisfactory sleep. He tried move his arm so he could brush a few stray hairs off of his face, but stopped when he realized that his hand was trapped to his side by Dylan's strong embrace. Danny stared at his sleeping lover's face, taking in all the details, before kissing his forehead gently. Dylan's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when he registered Danny's presence. He placed a hand on Danny's cheek and looked pleased when the younger man leaned into the touch.

"Good morning, how-" Danny cleared his throat quickly, "How was it last night?"

"It was good. Alma's doing great, and I have some interesting news to tell you guys." Dylan said, getting up from the bed and grabbing some day clothes from his suitcase on the floor.

"That's great, Dylan." Danny responded from his spot on the mattress and watched as Dylan pulled a shirt over his head.

"I'm going to go wake up the others, I'll see you downstairs in a bit." The former FBI agent said as he shut the door behind him. Danny stayed sitting on the bed for a few long moments, then reluctantly gathered his bearings and got ready for the day ahead of him.

...

It turned out that Agent Dray had informed Dylan of a possible connection between some of their past adversaries and a new tech CEO whose business was sweeping the world by storm. There wasn't any solid performance or mission set into action because they didn't yet know the nature of the link. However, the Horsemen did spend many hours going over countless contingency plans just in case something were to happen. Dylan was noticeably absent for most of these sessions in order to meet with Alma, which caused Danny to grow increasingly insecure after each meeting.

On the sixteenth day of the Horsemen's stay in Paris, Jack and Lula had decided to go out and have a romantic exploration day together. Inspired by the idea, Danny planned a surprise date for him and Dylan. Unfortunately, when Danny went looking for his partner, he found him headed to the staircase in the hallway outside of their room.

"Where you headed?" Danny shifted uncomfortably.

"Alma wants to meet again for lunch, but I'll be back before it gets dark. Would you like me to bring you anything?" Dylan asked with a kind smile.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Danny cleared his throat nervously, "We, uh, haven't spent that much time together."

"Are you jealous?" Dylan teased, not noticing Danny's strange behavior or just how close to the truth he was.

The obviously playful comment had Danny straightening his back and puffing up in indignation. "Of course not." He said defensively, "I was just stating a fact."

Dylan chuckled and quickly gave Danny a one-armed hug accompanied by a light kiss on his blushing cheek.

The older man then waved goodbye and descended the stairs, leaving Danny standing in the hallway with a whirlwind of emotions.

He stayed standing there for quite awhile before hearing a sudden voice from behind him.

"Somebody's jealous." Merritt singsonged.

"Shut up, McKinney. I am not jealous." Danny snapped irritably.

"C'mon Atlas, give me some credit. I literally observe people for a living, and I've had the great pleasure of knowing you for the past three years. I know something's up." Merritt said and raised his eyebrows challengingly.

When Danny didn't respond, Merritt sighed heavily and continued, "Something is eating you up from the inside, and you need to share sooner rather than later. Otherwise you're going to regret it."

"Wow, I didn't know you care, or that you could be so profound." Daniel said sarcastically.

Merritt frowned, "I'm serious, Atlas. Don't just cover this up with your snarky attitude. If you're not going to talk to me about it, at least talk to Dylan."

Danny laughed bitterly, "No, definitely not."

"He really cares about you, y'know." Merritt insisted, studying the way Danny closed in on himself. "Just know that it's okay to talk to people."

...

The rest of the evening went by uneventfully, that is, until Dylan came bursting through the door.

"Dylan! You're back." Danny exclaimed, getting up from his seat.

"Uh, yeah. I just need to grab something really quick. Alma's waiting in the bakery." Dylan mumbled distractedly, "Hey, have you seen my book on Ancient Rome?"

"It's still in your suitcase." Danny responded in confusion, "Wait. You brought her here? Isn't that, I don't know, a breach of safety?"

"C'mon Danny it's Alma. She's not a threat to the Horsemen." Dylan reasoned, rummaging through his suitcase for his book.

"Maybe, but what if somebody is following her? Or planted a bug?" argued Danny.

Dylan straightened up and looked at Daniel, "What's the matter?" He questioned, "Why are you acting more paranoid than usual?"

Danny huffed furiously, "I'm not, I just don't think that you should've put all of our safety in her hands."

"Is that it? Do you not like Alma or something?" Dylan exclaimed in frustration, trying to block Danny's path as the showman made his way to the door.

"You know what? This conversation isn't going anywhere. Just go, that's all you seem to be doing lately, anyway." Danny muttered sharply, still trying to get past Dylan.

Dylan grabbed onto Danny, preventing him from leaving the room. Danny shrugged the hand off his shoulder and stood facing Dylan with his arms crossed irritability.

The older man blinked in angry confusion and then narrowed his eyes at Danny.

"So, I can't spend time with my friend because it makes you upset?" He said incredulously.

"Shit, Dylan. That's not what I'm saying. It's just-" Danny turned away abruptly and let out a shaky breath. "Just nothing. I'll see you later, Dylan. You don't want to keep company waiting."

Danny's sudden shift in the conversation stunned Dylan for a moment, enough so that Danny was able to slip past him and reach for the door. Dylan reacted quickly and snatched Danny's wrist.

"Wait a second." Dylan ordered, "You can't just run away from this."

"Run away from what?" Danny said unconvincingly.

Dylan sighed at Danny's hardheadedness, "You're feelings, Atlas."

"I don't know what you mean." Danny replied blankly, looking anywhere but Dylan's annoyed face.

"Really? Let me spell it out for you. You're jealous of Alma." Dylan spoke painfully clear, his words stinging to Danny's battered ego.

"What do you want me to say? Fine! She's beautiful and smart and perfectly _perfect_ for you, so just **go and leave me alone**." Danny spat before finally storming out of the room, the door slamming harshly behind him.

The booming sound reverberated through Dylan as he was left standing in the bedroom with a weary expression and a hollow feeling in his chest. After several moments trying to process what had just happened, Dylan exited the room with caution and looked around the hallway for his lover. However, after searching for ten minutes around the building, Dylan concluded that Danny wouldn't be found unless he wanted to be found. Sighing in defeat, he reluctantly made his way downstairs back to Alma after asking Merritt to text him if Danny came back.

"Is there a problem?" The blonde woman asked curiously as Dylan sat down heavily on one of the bakery's small chairs.

"Uh, Atlas and I..." Dylan began hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Let me guess. You two are having a lovers' tiff?" Alma smirked subtly.

Dylan chuckled humorlessly, "It seemed to be a little more than a 'tiff', Alma. He said that I've been spending too much time with you."

"He has a point, Dylan. You need to be aware of his insecurities, and not be so quick to anger." Alma advised, sipping her coffee.

Dylan scowled, "Hey, who's side are you on?"

Alma laughed softly, "You really are hopeless." She set down her cup and grasped Dylan's hand, capturing the man's attention.

"Listen, you love Atlas, that much is certain from your near constant boasting about him. You just need to reassure him of that love and be patient." She encouraged kindly, smiling at Dylan. The Interpol agent then got up from her seat, motioning for Dylan to do so as well. She gave the disheartened man a warm hug once they were both standing, and then grabbed her purse and Dylan's Ancient Rome book from the table.

"Thank you for the book, Dylan. And don't worry, it's obvious from what you've told me that he loves you too." Alma giggled.

Dylan smiled at his friend, "Thanks, Alma. I'll be sure to take your advice."

"You better." She said as she exited the building.

...

Unbeknownst to Alma and Dylan, the subject of their discussion was sitting on just the other side of the bakery. Danny had been unable to hear the conversation, but he was capable of seeing the pair's interactions from his hidden table on the other side of the counter.

Danny's heart clenched when Dylan didn't pull away from the blonde woman's grasp, and instead looked at the blonde woman with an equally soft expression. The showman nearly whimpered when they embraced each other, despair and panic curling around him and squeezing the air out of his lungs. He quickly made his way back to his room, careful to remain unseen by Dylan.

Danny shut the door hastily behind him and ran a shaky hand threw his hair. He thought back to the way Dylan seemed so at ease with the beautiful woman, and how he was never like that with Daniel. The distressed magician steeled himself and began going around the room, picking up his belongings and placing them in his suitcase. Danny moved faster when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs through the thin walls of the apartment. He finished zipping up the bag just as Dylan opened the door, and he turned to the man with a cold air about him.

"Danny, wha-what are you doing?" Dylan asked, eyes wide in confusion.

"I'm going back to the Eye's other safehouses. I don't need to be here anymore." Daniel explained impassively, but the anxious twitching of his hands gave him away.

"Danny, please. Let me explain..." Dylan pleaded, stepping closer to Danny.

"Explain what? That she makes you happier than I ever did? Or that you're sick of dealing with me?" Danny spoke rapidly, trembling with a mixture of rage and sadness.

"No, listen. There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Alma." Dylan urged, "Trust me."

"I saw you two! I-If you loved me, then you would act like that around _me_." Danny shouted desperately, face twisted in anger, "I should've know that-"

"That what?" Dylan interrupted, moving closer so that the two men were only a couple of feet apart.

Danny crossed his arms around his chest, struggling to hold himself together with Dylan's close proximity.

"That you would've been happier with her." He whispered in defeat, "I-I thought you cared about me. I was wrong, and stupid." Danny shook his head, letting out a breathy sigh.

"Do you really believe that? That I don't love you?" Dylan spoke quietly, reaching out and pulling Danny into a tight embrace. Within Dylan's arms, Danny found his vision becoming blurry with tears and his body shaking even more violently than before.

"I hate you for making me feel like this," Danny confessed fiercely, pushing weakly against Dylan's chest, "I fucking hate you, you bastard." He said around choked sobs.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Danny." Dylan apologized softly, "If you want to leave, then I won't stop you. But only if you can look me in the eyes and tell me you hate me. Then I-I'll let you go." Dylan promised, his voice cracking roughly.

Danny tilted his head up and stared at Dylan with a broken expression, "Dammit Dylan, I don't. I fucking don't, but I wish I did."

"Don't leave me. Please Danny, I know I'm terrible at letting you know how I feel, but you have to know that you're _everything_ to me. I-I don't want to be without you. Give me another chance." Dylan pleaded, placing a hand on the side of Danny's face.

Danny continued to search Dylan's face for several intense moments before slowly leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on the other man's lips. He rested his forehead against Dylan's and finally spoke with more emotion than Dylan had ever heard from him.

"I will."


End file.
